The presidential race's top donors

From high-flying businessmen to a 21-year-old student, here are the people donating the biggest bucks to the presidential race. Get to know the top five donors, as well some honorable mentions you might not have expected to help make this most expensive presidential race in history. All data from OpenSecrets.org.

Harold Simmons

Total given: $15,940,900 R

Harold Simmons made a splash earlier this year when, talking to the Wall Street Journal, he referred to the president as “that socialist.” The billionaire industrialist, who began his career as a bank examiner, told the New York Times that this first job shaped his philosophy of “all debt and no equity,” and is one that has guided him at his holding company, Contran Corp, founded 1944. His role as a

Harold Simmons

Total given: $15,940,900 R

Harold Simmons made a splash earlier this year when, talking to the Wall Street Journal, he referred to the president as “that socialist.” The billionaire industrialist, who began his career as a bank examiner, told the New York Times that this first job shaped his philosophy of “all debt and no equity,” and is one that has guided him at his holding company, Contran Corp, founded 1944. His role as a heavyweight political activist and Republican donor dates back to the Reagan administration, when he provided funds for the defendants of the Iran-Contra scandal. Like Bob Perry (see No. 2), Simmons also opted to back Texas Governor Rick Perry during the GOP primaries before contributing his funds to Romney. Simmons now supports the Republican nominee in the hopes that he’ll reverse Obama’s mission to “eliminate free enterprise,” as he told the Wall Street Journal.